Should You Get Custom or Customizable Wedding Invitations?
There are so many things fight for a wedding budget’s attention. As a wedding planner, I know it can be so difficult to know where and how to spend your budget. It can be such a headache trying to navigate what “the right price” is for services and products you’ve never shopped for before. Part of the reality is often, you’ll find you have to compromise on a few things. Let’s face it, a lot of what you see on Pinterest is styled content by companies that are styling wedding photoshoots for a living. It’s just not attainable when scaled out to large events for people who don’t have unlimited or at least very large budgets. I always advise asking yourself how or if a certain item (decor, menus, band, dessert table, etc) will enhance the guest experience. There are ways you can make a statement, show your guests the vibe of your wedding, and stick to your budget.
You might be asking yourself, “what is the major difference between custom and customizable wedding invitations?” Custom wedding invitations are great for when you want to include custom elements like a custom crest, artwork, fonts, or ensure there is a luxury feel to your suite. When you create a custom invitation suite with a stationery designer they are going to meet with you so you can touch, feel, and handpick each and every element of your invitation suite - sometimes even down to the stamps, you’ll use. Some designers hand draw artwork or commission another artist to do so. Each and every suite is designed custom and you’ll likely receive multiple options of your vision to choose from. You’ll be able to go back and forth until it’s just right. Custom invitations are an excellent way to give your guests a glimpse into what they’ll be experiencing on your wedding day. They also make great keep sakes!
Given all of the work that is involved, there is an increased price tag associated with it. I’ve had couples tell me it was worth every penny, but sometimes it’s just not possible given your budget.
If you don’t think you’ll be able to afford the price tag that comes along with creating custom invites, then customizable wedding invitations might be a great fit for you! You’ll find these on sites like Minted, Zazzle, Vistaprint, Shutterfly, etc. All of the images in this blog post are from Style Me Pretty’s line of customizable wedding invitations. In these sites, you can go in and change a couple of features like the type of paper, your font color, if you want to add foils, the color of your invitation paper, the color of your envelope, the shape of your invitation, and then some! You can then add other items like an RSVP card + envelope, reception cards, direction cards, belly bands, vellum overlays, table numbers, place cards, escort cards, menu, wax seals, postage services, wedding websites, and more that all match your stationery designs. I probably just confused the hell out of you but I promise websites like Minted make it so easy! They even offer custom design consultations with real like designers if you are looking for an in-between from customizable and custom invites!
I am a part of Minted’s Wedding Planner program. If you’re looking for a promo code to save you some cash on your invites, you can use code WEDPLCOORDCO for 35% off save the dates and 25% off invitations. This is a non-commissioned link. Just there to help you if you need it!
The key factors what will help you choose which option is right for you will be budget, time available (to designing, ordering, stuffing, and mailing), and how big of a priority the invitations are to you and your fiance. There is no right or wrong answer. I never seen an invitation I didn’t think was perfect for the couple who chose it! No matter what you decide for your wedding invitations, your guests will love it because it’s a reflection of who you are as a couple!
In terms of timeline, you should be looking and reviewing wedding invitation options from 9 months to 1 year before your wedding. Work on finalizing your invitation wording 6 to 8 months in advance. You should select and order your invitations 6 - 8 months from your wedding. They should be sent out 2 to 3 months in advance. Your RSVP date should be around 4 weeks before your wedding to give you the opportunity to track down stragglers so you can have your final head count at 3 weeks.
Save the dates should be ordered around the 6 month mark and sent out around the 4 - 6 month mark for non-destination weddings and anywhere from 6 - 8 months for destination affairs.
Hiring a wedding planner can be a great resource for keeping all of these little details straight and for assistance with deceivingly complicated decisions.